Snake habitats, electro-fishing, wetland assessments and willow stalking were some of the hands-on activities that took Lakeland College's environmental sciences students beyond the classroom last month.

Second-year students in the environmental sciences diploma majors and students in the bachelor of applied sciences: environmental management program ditched their indoor learning space for the great outdoors from Sept. 20-24. Field Week was created for students to put theory into practice. They actively studied plants, animals, water and soils. It's also an opportunity for day-long field trips that would usually be difficult to incorporate into the semester.

Jana Teefy, a wildlife and fisheries conservation (WFC) student, says the week was an excellent opportunity to get a taste of the career she'll have after the program.

“Overall, the week was amazing. We get to experience what our careers will be like in the field every day. I enjoyed the chainsaw safety course, which was a little terrifying but a lot of fun. We also got to go to a bird observatory to work with songbirds for migration research. Then we built snake hibernacula for garter snakes to hibernate over the winter,” says Teefy. She added that the hands-on learning experiences are what drew her to Lakeland, as well as the countless outdoor certificates, including wilderness first aid, bear awareness, and small engine repair. 

Tanner Greves, a conservation and restoration ecology (CARE) student, also participated in building the snake hibernacula, underground chambers for snakes to use through winter to protect them from the cold, and enjoyed collaborating with students in the other diploma majors.

Job-ready confidence

“After the WFC students learned about the ecology of snakes and dug the pits for the hibernacula, the CARE students joined them to learn ecology and construct the hibernacula with PVC piping and gravel. It was neat working with students from the other programs as well.”

With experience like Field Week to develop his skills, Greves adds he's confident he'll achieve his goal of working with a conservation company.

“We got to meet with ministry professionals and get a tour of well sites in the middle of reclamation. It was a good opportunity to pick their brains and learn where we would fit into the industry. Lakeland does a great job at preparing students for that,” Greves says.

Katherine Flint, an environmental conservation and reclamation student, is looking forward to starting a new career in the environmental sciences industry. Before Lakeland, Flint worked in various sectors but was inspired to explore careers in environmental sciences through landscape construction.

“As a mature student who has had experience in other workforces, I found I have a passion for environmental sciences. Lakeland gave me two advantages over any other school - one was the hands-on experience, and the other was its small community.”

During Field Week, Flint participated in many detailed site assessments and recorded data from soil pits of several types of western Canadian soils.

“We went to several different sites in the Vermilion area where we got to see a full soil profile, at least one metre down. That was one of the most enjoyable events during Field Week. I had no experience in environmental science before Lakeland, so coming to Lakeland and participating in Field Week and getting the same experience that I will have in my career gives me that extra edge to be prepared for the workforce,” Flint says.

Photos: Environmental sciences students ditched their indoor learning spaces for the outdoor Field Week 2021. Students participated in real-world learning activities including (from top to bottom) electrofishing, bird handling, wetland assessments and willow staking.